Category: Uncategorized

Mark 10:42
This is how it goes for most of the world. Now, in many cases, leaders will claim to be servants. But, without serving Christ, this is just an act for the benefit of constituents.

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us a better example in Christ. Your leading is so helpful because you don’t leave gaps. You spell it all out for us. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:41
The ten heard it. Really? Who told them? Well, we don’t know, but the following verses would indicate that Jesus spilled the beans. Or, at least, he led the ten to find out from James and John.
Now, their consternation is understandable, from a human point of view. But it was no more excusable than the event itself. It revealed that the other disciples had similar dreams of glory for themselves.

Heavenly Father, make us masters of humility! Only then will we understand Jesus. He is the One to look to and emulate. He is the One to follow. He is the One to love. All praise to him! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:40
Jesus did not mean to say that he had no business discussing this, or that he had no part in the matter. But, within the Trinity there is some difference of roles. It would be wrong to say that God the Father came to earth to die for sinners. Yet, the Father is in no way less involved or interested in this process.
In the same way, Jesus would not give these positions to those that the Father had not intended. This does not in any way minimize Jesus’ part or interest in the rewarding of the faithful. It just means that was not in the plan.

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us so much! You have given to us what you would have us to enjoy. We will not, even in eternity, find cause to complain or be dissatisfied. Your blessings are always just what we need. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:39
Now we could easily say that James and John had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. But, I would advise against that. These men definitely had an inkling of what this would mean given they had at this point spent some years following the Lord. They understood some of the sacrifice that this would entail.
However, I think it’s safe to say that they did not understand completely all that would be involved. This will always be the case, though. We will never know all of the details going into our future with Christ. Thus, we will have to, just as James and John, move forward by faith, and not by sight.

Heavenly Father, give us boldness. We need to rely on you. We must be willing to take risks, knowing that with you it’s not really a risk. We need to boldly follow where you lead. Thank you for challenging us to do more. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:38
We generally don’t know exactly what we are asking for. We have trouble knowing what we want. This is because we don’t know everything. James and John knew that they wanted to throw in with Christ all the way. But at this time they were only thinking of the glory that might deserve, and not the sacrifice.
Jesus, on the other hand, does not have this problem. He knows what he wants. And he knows what we need, and what we really would want if we knew to want it. He asked this question here to help James and John understand what they really should be thinking.

Heavenly Father, thank you for always working for our good. You are so kind to us. You love us genuinely. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:37
Don’t miss what they were asking for here. To sit on either hand of the Lord would mean quite a bit. This would be the places of honor reserved only for those who would have the position to go with it. It would make them close to the Lord in glory. It is a big request, to say the least!

Heavenly Father, thank you for being so wonderful. You deserve all of the glory. Help us not to forget that as we seek to promote ourselves. You are the Almighty Creator, and we are just your creations. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:36
This is one of the most remarkable statements of Christ. It really helps us understand the power of prayer. Jesus knew what James and John were going to ask for. He knew their motives, and he knew what he was going to answer them. And yet, he is open to their request. In other words, this shows us that his ears are open. Even when, many times, our requests aren’t exactly what he’s wanting to hear. He doesn’t refuse to listen even though he already knows that what we’re going to ask isn’t quite what we should be asking for.
This is a wonderful blessing! It shows that the Lord listens and cares about what we have to say. He doesn’t deal with us as enemies, but as friends. He treats us kindly. That is so amazing considering that he is infinite, and so much bigger than we are.

Heavenly Father, we know that you’re infinitely greater than we are. We know that your glory is absolute. We know that your knowledge is endless. But we know that you are kind! What a glory this is to you! Thank you for your great kindness to us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:35
It’s so easy to judge the disciples for doing this. James and John were obviously not completely in the right on this, and it is easy to jump all over them for it.
However, I would point out that, so often, we fail to ask God for anything. Though it is altogether possible to ask for the wrong thing, I would rather ask. Why? Because, at some level it at least shows trust in and dependence on God. Beyond this, it can be an indication of true motive. Though the Lord knows our motive, the fact that we would be this transparent with our goals is a good thing.
So, yes, James and John should have done this differently. But, it is better that they did it than it would have been if they hadn’t.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your understanding of us. You know how we are and what we really need. You can see our motives and help us to understand ourselves. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:34
One of my personal peeves in regards to theology is in connection with this verse. I have run into too many people who have failed to realize did Jesus knew he was going to rise again. Somehow, people have gotten the idea that Jesus wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen after he died. I guess that they think the second person of the Trinity wouldn’t be able to control what was going on, and would be unaware of what would happen. But that’s just not the case.
On several different occasions Jesus makes it clear that he knew he would rise again in three days. Any variation on this, or denial of this, is completely false. And why does this matter so much? Well, of all the things that Jesus knew, this was the most remarkable. To know that he was going to rise again, and more than that to know exactly when it was going to happen, is a testimony to his divinity.

Heavenly Father, you have all of the answers. You know all of the events of our lives. Thank you for giving us your truth! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 10:33
The phrase Son of Man is still misunderstood. In fact, it has been the source of quite a bit of confusion down through the years. This was a fairly unique saying of the Lord Jesus. However, we do find it several places in the Old Testament. It is not possible at this time to go into a long explanation of all uses of the term Son of Man. But, it will suffice to point out that Jesus does not always use this term to refer to himself. He seems to use it when he is speaking of certain things that he will do.
Many have said that the term Son of man points out the humanity of Christ. I think that interpretation is on the right track, but there’s a lot more to it. We tend to think of ourselves as human in every sense of the word. However, that’s not quite right. We are not what we were originally intended to be. Death, suffering, sorrow, and many other things have become a part of who we are because of sin. The Son of Man title reminds us of the fact that we can only truly be what human beings were intended to be through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is himself a very special human being.
Jesus is one of a kind. He is completely God, and completely man. And, he uses this term Son of Man when he talks about the things that he’s going to do to change eternity, the great things, the amazing things. And so, this term highlights the fact that Jesus is not simply one of the myriad of lives in the history of the world, but that he is the one life that lasts forever. It is only through him that any of us may truly become purely human.

Heavenly Father, we realize that Jesus Christ is the Lord of all. The various titles that are used for him just help us to understand all that you have done in your just help us to understand all that you have done in your Son. It is by Christ, the Word, that you framed the worlds. It is by Christ, and his Spirit, that you gave us the prophecy in the Old Testament and the New. It is through Christ that you brought salvation to this sin-sick world. It is in Christ that we will live and reign for all of eternity. Is in Christ that we find perfect peace. Thank you for Jesus! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.